Monday's letters: Clear conflict of interest

Monday

Feb 9, 2009 at 12:01 AMFeb 9, 2009 at 10:02 AM

It is amazing that even after all of the corporate collapses due to unethical behavior, the School District 7 board members do not recognize that three of their members and their superintendent have a direct conflict of interest related to the proposed payment of $200,000 to the Country Club of Spartanburg.

It is amazing that even after all of the corporate collapses due to unethical behavior, the School District 7 board members do not recognize that three of their members and their superintendent have a direct conflict of interest related to the proposed payment of $200,000 to the Country Club of Spartanburg.This continues to show the lack of understanding and lack of conscious thinking about ethics before decisions are considered or made. This type of action continues to erode the confidence of the general public in those persons in positions of power. Their continued abuse of power is interpreted as an attempt to meet their own agendas and not the needs of those they represent.They should not have approved the expenditure because of an ethical conflict of interest, especially in the current fiscal environment. It does not matter that the funds were designated for long-term projects. It seems that if the funds could be expended for golf club privileges, they could have just as easily been expended for the support of a broader base of programs.When will the time come when those in power stop looking at their own interests and consider the broader picture and those who would be impacted by their decisions?Anthony NapoliInman

History is set to repeat itself - again. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009 that is being debated in Washington has all the hallmarks of a classic deja vu.Last year, the federal government sent out rebate checks in an attempt to stimulate the economy. It also dumped huge sums of money into failing Wall Street banks and insurance firms. Both had no effect.It's long past time that central planners learned that throwing good money after bad will not stimulate the economy. We must instead cut taxes, reform burdensome regulation and eliminate government waste. It is not until we pay attention to our history of stimulus failures that we can begin to move toward the future.Pat McCallSpartanburg

I'm somewhat surprised to read an editorial from the Herald-Journal chastising the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation for attempting to preserve the historic 45-acre core of the 181-acre state hospital campus on Bull Street in Columbia.I would think that residents of Spartanburg would be especially wary of pie-in-the-sky promises that necessitate ripping out historic downtown buildings. There are plenty of empty lots downtown that can testify to the judgmental error in allowing historic buildings to be sacrificed for the sake of potential development. Even when "progress" has occurred on the site of an older building, the newer construction is often devoid of character, and the shoddy construction ensures that the cycle can continue.

In this economy, no one wants to see economic expansion unnecessarily stifled. Nonetheless, we have an obligation to future generations, the character of our cities and the environment not to sacrifice historic, intact, reusable structures in order to fit the blueprints of an ambitious developer.Brad SteineckeSpartanburg

I read the letters to the editor each day and observe the manner in which each person thinks about the 2008 election. Much mud has been slung, and many unnecessary remarks have been made. Some people didn't stop to ask the question, "Why is this happening?" The handwriting is on the wall. God rules and super-rules all in the universe - past, present and throughout eternity.When Barack Obama announced in February 2007 that he was running for president, some had doubts. Some were skeptical that this first-term Illinois senator, a black man, could lead a successful campaign for the country's highest office. The naysayers said America is not ready. But it was not about what America wanted or was ready for. This is what God wanted and was ready for.What Obama accomplished this year wasn't supposed to happen, according to some, but it did. Some people see things as they are, but I see things as they ought to be and ask, why not? God has chosen another Moses to lead His people out of bondage. God is raising up a new nation, a young generation. God chooses whomever He pleases to lead His people.The vision that God has given Obama has to do with things that do not yet exist in this country. However, by faith, I know we can achieve them. Obama has been commissioned by God to develop and embrace spiritual, physical and economic needs for His people. Then we will be able to shoulder some of our responsibilities, take spiritual steps toward financial freedom and reduce some of the stress and tension.

America, let us stay focused and be reminded that this is a new vision, a new direction, a new attitude, and we will see new results.Pauline P. WilsonSpartanburg

The recent passing of a bill that would, in some cases, extend medical coverage to children of illegal immigrants is nothing less than disgusting. I have lived in this country all my life and worked most of it. I have my own small business, and yet I cannot afford medical coverage because the cost is prohibitive.To add insult to injury, those on the far-out left, including out-of-touch-with-reality Nancy Pelosi, want to take my tax money and cover children who have no right to be here. Some illegal immigrants are now free to have as many babies as they want and have them covered by our tax money. Meanwhile, some seniors are forced to choose between food or the medicines they need.I say that if you cannot afford all of the costs of having children, then the solution is painfully obvious: Don't have them! Why should I or anyone else pay for someone else's choice?Common sense is a lost practice these days, and the lack of it will cost this country greatly. The current administration will be the ruin of this country. Titanic captain Barack Obama and his trusty first mate Pelosi will run us straight into an iceberg.

David RoemhildSpartanburg

Now that President Barack Obama has taken office, his first job is to stimulate our fragile economy. He presented a vision of how to obtain this in his inaugural address when he stated that we needed to both create new jobs and create a "new foundation for growth," which included investing in an improved electrical grid and more renewable energy.He also indicated that we need strong policies to curb global warming. I agree that, in part, the fate of not just our environment but our economy depends on how quickly we move to repower America with clean energy solutions.The new jobs in a clean energy economy would employ people in fields that have been hard hit by the recent economic downturn. There would be new jobs for factory workers making components such as wind turbines, new jobs for carpenters making our buildings more energy-efficient, and new jobs for engineers and researchers in developing ever better technology. Another benefit is that jobs such as installing and maintaining wind farms can't be sent overseas.I hope we are entering a new era of cooperation in which Congress and the president work together to pass climate legislation to reduce our global warming pollution and spur new job growth.Regardless of whether we believe global warming is real, all of the proposed changes will benefit the us and the Earth.